2/23/22 Lecture for the University of Southern California
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, sharing our most sensitive intelligence about Putin’s war plans has helped solidify international support for Ukraine and wrested control of the war’s narrative from Russia. Washington’s unprecedented willingness to share such secrets, though, should not be seen as a one-off but rather as an essential tool that will be routinely needed to win future wars.
As I argue in the video lecture at the University of Southern California, the tight secrecy protocols that served us during the Cold War, today, are becoming less of a national security fix than a problem. If America is to win against military competitors, such as Russia and China, it will need to out-innovate and collaborate with private industries and overseas allies. This, in turn, will require sharing more, not fewer secrets and, yes, taking more, not fewer risks.
This lecture explains why and gives specific examples in the military space, defense acquisition, and intelligence areas.
